Beach Bums Ink Pair of Former Spiders
Published on April 17, 2013 under Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
The Traverse City Beach Bums continue to form the 2013 roster, signing two former University of Richmond players in outfielder Mike Mergenthaler and catcher Chris Cowell.
In 2011, Mergenthaler made an immediate impact for the AZL Giants (Arizona - Rookie) hitting .388 with nine doubles, four homeruns and 20 RBI. He also walked 16 times and was hit by three pitches, compiling a .476 on-base percentage. Those numbers earned him late season call-ups to both the Augusta GreenJackets (South Atlantic - A) and the Fresno Grizzlies (PCL - AAA).
The Giants drafted the lefthanded hitter in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft following a four-year career at the Richmond (Atlantic-10 - NCAA D-I) where he hit .301 with 31 homers and 166 RBI. In his final year with the Spiders, Mergenthaler hit .307 and ranked among the A-10 leaders with seven long balls and 18 steals.
Last year, Mergenthaler split 69 games between the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Northwest - A-) and Augusta hitting .208 with four homers and 28 RBI.
Cowell was drafted in the 34th round by the Colorado Rockies in 2012 and hit .271 with two homers and six RBI in 21 games for the Grand Junction Rockies (Pioneer - Rookie).
The catcher's pro career came on the heels of a senior season with the Spiders where he led the conference with 20 homers and was third with 58 RBI en route to earning First Team All-Conference and First Team ABCA/Rawling All-East Region accolades.
Cowell claimed Second Team All-Atlantic-10 Honors in both his sophomore and junior seasons and finished his college career with a .271 average, 45 homeruns and 149 RBI. The 45 homers are the fourth highest career total in the 98-year history of Spiders' baseball.
The Beach Bums would like to thank all their fans who came through the gates at Wuerfel Park this season for making 2012 such a success and helping the Beach Bums win the Frontier League Organization of the Year Award. Keep tabs on the Beach Bums and the latest news this off season by following on Twitter @beachbumstc, find us on Facebook or sign up to receive the Beach Bums newsletter right to your inbox! Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 2013 season. For more information on partnering with the Beach Bums, call 943-0100 or visit www.tcbeachbums.com.
The Traverse City Beach Bums are members of the 14 team Frontier League with teams in seven Midwest states. The Beach Bums 2013 home opener is Tuesday, May 21st versus the Evansville Otters.
Frontier League Stories from April 17, 2013
- Normal CornBelters Searching for Stars - Normal CornBelters
- Joliet Slammers and Levy Restaurants Introduce New Value to Fans - Joliet Slammers
- Beach Bums Ink Pair of Former Spiders - Traverse City Beach Bums
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